BANNING LEWIS RANCH: Worth the wait

   The new incarnation of Banning Lewis Ranch has been on the drawing board for a long time, but it will be worth the wait.
   The former cattle ranch has gone through an obstacle course of foreclosure and multiple owners. It was annexed into Colorado Springs in 1988, but that was just the beginning of a new life for the 24,000-acre parcel east of the city.
   The Banning Lewis Ranch Management Co. and its subsidiaries own about 21,000 acres, bounded by Fontaine Boulevard and Woodmen, Marksheffel and Meridian roads.
   The company is comprised of people experienced with masterplanned communities. They're taking a long-term approach to developing the ranch, which will consist of villages built in response to demand.
   The northernmost portion will have six villages; the first, Northtree Village, will have approximately 1,000 homes on about 321 acres near Woodmen and Marksheffel roads.
   Four builders - John Laing Homes, Todays Homes, Capital Pacific Homes and Classic Homes - will have five "collections" in Northtree Village. They're following the developers' cornerstone values: tradition, nature, balance, knowledge, discovery, culture and progress.
   The developers and builders want homebuyers to feel connected to their neighbors and community, and to have access to everything they need for quality lives. Trails throughout the neighborhood lead to the village's heart, a community center called the Ranch House.
   "You can put a gate at the back of your yard to get to the trail," said Micah Victory of the Capital Pacific Homes sales department. "The kids can go out, Mom can be in the kitchen, or Dad can be here cooking, and the kids can go right out on the trail instead of going up the street a block to catch the trailhead. So it's very family-friendly and very well thought out."
   About half of the homes will have front porches, making it easier to meet neighbors. More than 50 acres of Northtree Village will be parks, trails and open space; themed parks will educate children while they play, and signs will give information about the area's history and other topics.
   The 7,500-square-foot Ranch House includes a fitness center and meeting rooms, and it's surrounded by a pool, playground and tennis courts.
   A nearby school, the Banning Lewis Ranch Academy, opened in September 2006. It already has more than 500 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
   More schools will be built as the population grows, and acreage is earmarked for retail space and houses of worship. In the meantime, several District 49 schools are nearby and shopping is a few minutes away on Woodmen or Powers Boulevard.
   A fee of less than $3 per day pays for amenities including the Ranch House, and trash and recycling pickup.
   In early April, about 50 homes were under contract, and families are moving in.
   "We have young families, we have singles, couples that are without children but thinking they're going to start families and they're looking at the lifestyle," Victory said. But people of all ages are buying.
   Capital Pacific Homes' Pinery Collection, priced from the upper $200,000s, has four styles, each of which has three exterior variations. Interiors can be modified, provided the changes follow the ranch's basic standards.
   "The Banning Lewis Ranch architectural requirements call for four-sided architecture, so you'll find a lot of windows when normally you wouldn't, and it causes the house to be very bright and kind of light feeling. It's wonderful," Victory said.
   The Fulford style is approximately 1,913 square feet, with a master suite and two bedrooms on the main level and one downstairs; the formal dining room can be converted to a bedroom. Every inch is utilized efficiently, so it's roomy without sprawling.
   "There was a trend for a time when everybody wanted the biggest lot on the block, but we're finding now that people aren't as concerned about that. And they're not concerned about a really large home any more. They want a home that feels nice and has the appointments they want," Victory said.
   Many standard features would be upgrades elsewhere, and the upgrades here are stunning, such as mosaics in the entry hall's hardwood floor.
   Every home will have Internet and cable, and a residents-only Web site will be a bulletin board for connections and announcements.
   "They can find a babysitter or plan a bridge game," said Kim Mutchler, the developers' spokesperson.
   She has seen this project blossom from prairie to a vibrant community.
   "I think it's been hard for people to believe, because for 20 years, we heard about it. So if they don't make the effort to get out here, it's hard to imagine that it's for real," Mutchler said.
   The ranch's past is gone but not forgotten, the present changes every day and the future seems filled with boundless possibilities.